Sunday, January 1, 2017

Hope For The Best

Greetings and Happy New Year.

The other day I happened to see a clip from Mel Brooks when
he received the Kennedy Center award a few years ago. There was a musical
tribute to many of the songs he’s written.One line goes “Hope for the best. Expect the worst.”So naturally that got me thinking.

When I write, I have the very best of intentions. Some people may plot the story out step by step. Others may get started with a glimmer of an idea
and just run with it. But like Brooks says, you hope for the best. But you
should also expect the worst.

What happens when I write my characters
into a corner?Do I give up?Do I wait for divine intervention?I won't take the path that one writer has
done frequently, and write himself into the story to miraculously save his
troubled characters. That’s not creativity. It’s laziness.

For me, the uncertainty is part of it. I don’t know what’s
going to happen next. When my characters seem to be out of ideas, it’s up to me
to give them a nudge. I’ll bat ideas around and try ‘what if’ until something
clicks in. Often one idea will trigger another. So when it comes to writing,
that’s the approach I've had the most success with.

Hometown Reads

Why 319?

Devious

Vanishing Act

Fleeing Beauty

Fade Away

Pages

About Me

Yes,
my name really is Mark Love. I am a Michigan native, who up until recently
lived in the Metro Detroit area, where crime and corruption always seem to be
at the top of everyone's news. So there's always the chance to find something
that can trigger a story idea and enough interesting characters to jump start
your imagination.

While I have worked in many
industries and career paths over the years, one of my passions has always been
writing. I was even able to parlay that passion for a while, working as a
freelance reporter for a couple of newspapers in the Detroit area. Writing
features and hard news helped me hone my talents. But while newspaper worked
was interesting and paid a few bills, it was a far cry from the fiction writing
that I enjoy the most.

I've always been drawn to mysteries
and thrillers, the kind of stories that have a fast pace, that keep you moving
and keep you guessing as to what's going to take place next. Mix those in with
some elements of crime, perhaps a glimpse of the seedier side and you've got
me. So it's always been one of my goals to write stories like that.